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The Sleuth Sisters Mysteries #3
Murder in the Boonies
In this 3rd installment of the Sleuth Sisters Mysteries, the renters who lived on the sisters' family farm move out abruptly, and it seems that at least some of them didn't go voluntarily. Now the sisters are stuck with a menagerie of animals to care for and a mystery to solve. What happened to Ben McAdams, his girlfriend Rose, and her three daughters? Why are mysterious people hanging around the farm? And what exactly do reindeer eat? The investigation develops along with plans that please Faye's animal-loving heart. Making the best of things, she turns the farm into a horse retirement home. Still, there are those threatening figures hanging around, and details of a looming disaster emerge. On Michigan's beautiful Mackinac Island, our female sleuths must work together, face their fears, and foil a plot that only they can stop. This cozy mystery is for those who love dogs, horses, and farm animals; like a good but not-too-scary mystery with lots of humor; and know a little bit about what it's like to love a sister and want to slap her at the same moment. As one reviewer said, "If you have sisters, you've got to read this series." Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but you'll want to go back and read the others too!
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2015
61 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Pill
18 books70 followersMaggie Pill is Peg Herring, but younger and much cooler.
Maggie and her husband love to travel to places they've never seen before, where they often hike and walk all day with a "Let's see where this leads us" approach.
Maggie and her husband love to travel to places they've never seen before, where they often hike and walk all day with a "Let's see where this leads us" approach.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 10, 2017
Murder in the Boonies
Good clean cozy. No graphic violent scenes, although murder and death weave their way throughout. I like that animals are a part of this story, and none are killed.
Good clean cozy. No graphic violent scenes, although murder and death weave their way throughout. I like that animals are a part of this story, and none are killed.
June 20, 2020
Three fun sisters
I liked the endless bickering among the three sisters as they solve various mysteries.Eeah has her own love interests,her own way of dealing with problems which arise.
I liked the endless bickering among the three sisters as they solve various mysteries.Eeah has her own love interests,her own way of dealing with problems which arise.
July 2, 2022
Sleuth Sisters - What a Great Series Idea!!
I think this group of books by Maggie Pill needs to be made into a new tv or streaming series!
The characters are so believable and these stories are captivating! Thanks, Maggie, for so much entertainment and adventure.
I think this group of books by Maggie Pill needs to be made into a new tv or streaming series!
The characters are so believable and these stories are captivating! Thanks, Maggie, for so much entertainment and adventure.
December 30, 2025
another “no disappoint”
Maggie Pill must come from a large family or at least have several sisters. She completely understands the dynamics and disparagement of sisterhood. Another intriguing story that draws you in and keeps both suspense and sisterhood consistent.
Maggie Pill must come from a large family or at least have several sisters. She completely understands the dynamics and disparagement of sisterhood. Another intriguing story that draws you in and keeps both suspense and sisterhood consistent.
September 2, 2017
Great book
It is so refreshing to read a clean mystery. This was a great book with likable characters. No language or adult situations, if you count the murders!
It is so refreshing to read a clean mystery. This was a great book with likable characters. No language or adult situations, if you count the murders!
September 29, 2017
Wow, what a ride, couldn't wait to see what happened. Getting ready to start the fourth in the series.
November 1, 2020
I enjoyed this story and the places in Michigan where it takes place. There are several murders a family comes together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2023
Good fast read
I gave this a rate of five because it is well written, good plot, easy to follow the sisters storyline. No foul language.
I gave this a rate of five because it is well written, good plot, easy to follow the sisters storyline. No foul language.
October 31, 2023
A lot of crazy stuff happens in boondocks Michigan
November 5, 2024
This is such a fun series. The characters are so likable and I enjoy seeing them progress from book to book.
Read
April 29, 2025Second and third books even better than the first one. Just a really good read
June 13, 2022
"Murder in the Boonies" proves that third time's the charm - what was once annoying (i.e. alternating chapters written by different sisters) now seems something that makes absolute sense. While, in earlier books, it was sometimes hard to differentiate their voices now they each have a clear identity.
When the people renting the family farm do a moonlight flit, Barb, Retta and Faye set out to find them. Find them they do, and their three young children. But that's just the start of what becomes a race against time to prevent an atrocity.
The murder mystery element is perhaps the weakest element and relies too much on coincidence but the world around the three sisters is always a joy. The book is centred on family, love and respect for one another (not forgetting the many animals!)
It's a fast and fun read.
4 Stars.
When the people renting the family farm do a moonlight flit, Barb, Retta and Faye set out to find them. Find them they do, and their three young children. But that's just the start of what becomes a race against time to prevent an atrocity.
The murder mystery element is perhaps the weakest element and relies too much on coincidence but the world around the three sisters is always a joy. The book is centred on family, love and respect for one another (not forgetting the many animals!)
It's a fast and fun read.
4 Stars.
October 7, 2023
Barb and Faye began Smart Detective Agency and Retta resented being left out. Retta was in charge of finding tenants for the family home and farm. When the tenants disappeared, the sisters discovered that they left 3 young girls behind. The agency got involved in finding the mother and the man who was the tenant. In the course of their search, they uncovered the theft of a grenade launcher and worried about a plan for its use. Does Faye and her sons successfully begin a horse refuge? And what is the fate of the 3 young girls? Will the grenade launcher be used to create mass chaos and death?
May 1, 2023
A charming book. A very quick read. Not Agatha Christie but a cute mystery. The sisters are hard to track at first and the change in voice every chapter can be a pain to follow, but it seems to work well enough. Sweet and easy.
May 7, 2017
Great read!
Maggie's books always make me smile. I love these three sisters, it's as if I've known them forever. And I do pay more attention to my grammar after I've read one!
Maggie's books always make me smile. I love these three sisters, it's as if I've known them forever. And I do pay more attention to my grammar after I've read one!
November 12, 2015
This cozy mystery takes place in Mackinac Island, on the sleuth sisters’ family farm. The three sisters, Faye, Barb, and Reta grew up on this lovely farm that they were renting out to a very quiet and godly man Ben McAdams. Ben had taken up with a single mother of three, and moved them in with him. One day the sisters receive a letter from McAdams stating that he and the ladies moved, left town, so sorry to not give a notice of departure. Right then and there the Smart Detective Agency side of the sisters raised a red flag! When the sisters go to the farm to prepare it for new renters, they uncover a ghastly secret! With nowhere to go but forward, the sleuth sisters on are on the case!
The story was very relaxed and comfortable with the pacing. I am new to this series, never having read books one or two, but I did not feel like it was hard to follow. Reta, Barb and Faye all had unique qualities about them that meshed well with each other, and I appreciated their relationships. During the investigation, I was introduced to three new characters; Pansy, Iris, and Daisy, three very young sisters who were scared and alone, while Barb, Reta, and Faye tried to find their mother.
The plot of the story was pretty disturbing at times, considering the nature of the men involved and the belief systems that they had. The book was written through the point of view of each sister, which made for some interesting narrator choices for the audiobook. I do appreciate the threesome point of view though, because I was able to learn more details about each character more intimately. The mystery had a scary reality to it, but the story was written in a way to soften the blows, and focus more on the relationships.
The Sleuth Sisters Mysteries was a nice change of pace for me as far as mysteries go (my first cozy mystery) and I look forward to reading more from this series.
Narrator Review
Laura Bednarski as Faye
Judy Blue as Reta
Anne Jacques as Barb
Considering the book was written through the point of view of all three sisters, it makes sense that the audiobook is narrated by three different women. Each woman's voice put a soul to the character being read for. I really enjoyed Judy and Anne for the sisters they were chosen for, the exception was Laura Bednarski as Faye. Laura narrated as if she had never read the book beforehand, and had stopped short many, many times while reading, then pausing where there shouldn't have been a break in what she was saying, then finishing the sentence. It was very difficult to follow when she read because she continued like that through the whole book. Her voice rose and put emphasis on the wrong part of the sentence, which was funny at first, but then quickly irritating when I discovered that wasn't a one-time thing. Laura has a fitting voice for Faye, and would have been fantastic if it weren't for her fumbling through the read. Unfortunately this faux pas has brought the overall rating of the book down from a lovely 4 stars I felt it had potential for, down to 3 stars.
**Audiobook provided by the author for an honest review**
The story was very relaxed and comfortable with the pacing. I am new to this series, never having read books one or two, but I did not feel like it was hard to follow. Reta, Barb and Faye all had unique qualities about them that meshed well with each other, and I appreciated their relationships. During the investigation, I was introduced to three new characters; Pansy, Iris, and Daisy, three very young sisters who were scared and alone, while Barb, Reta, and Faye tried to find their mother.
The plot of the story was pretty disturbing at times, considering the nature of the men involved and the belief systems that they had. The book was written through the point of view of each sister, which made for some interesting narrator choices for the audiobook. I do appreciate the threesome point of view though, because I was able to learn more details about each character more intimately. The mystery had a scary reality to it, but the story was written in a way to soften the blows, and focus more on the relationships.
The Sleuth Sisters Mysteries was a nice change of pace for me as far as mysteries go (my first cozy mystery) and I look forward to reading more from this series.
Narrator Review
Laura Bednarski as Faye
Judy Blue as Reta
Anne Jacques as Barb
Considering the book was written through the point of view of all three sisters, it makes sense that the audiobook is narrated by three different women. Each woman's voice put a soul to the character being read for. I really enjoyed Judy and Anne for the sisters they were chosen for, the exception was Laura Bednarski as Faye. Laura narrated as if she had never read the book beforehand, and had stopped short many, many times while reading, then pausing where there shouldn't have been a break in what she was saying, then finishing the sentence. It was very difficult to follow when she read because she continued like that through the whole book. Her voice rose and put emphasis on the wrong part of the sentence, which was funny at first, but then quickly irritating when I discovered that wasn't a one-time thing. Laura has a fitting voice for Faye, and would have been fantastic if it weren't for her fumbling through the read. Unfortunately this faux pas has brought the overall rating of the book down from a lovely 4 stars I felt it had potential for, down to 3 stars.
**Audiobook provided by the author for an honest review**
February 3, 2017
Barb, Faye, and Retta learn a strong lesson in the value of working together as sisters in Maggie Pill's Murder in the Boonies when the tenants who had lived on the family farm suddenly depart, leaving all their belongings. When Barb and Faye go to the farm to try to clean things up so it will be ready for the new tenants, they discover the three daughters of the family hiding in the cabin on the property. Eleven year-old Iris, nine-year-old Pansy, and six-year-old Daisy have no idea what happened to their mother, who disappeared a month earlier. In addition, they are reticent about her boyfriend, who had agreed to let them continue living on the farm in exchange for their doing all the work of the household before disappearing as well. They arrange for the girls to stay temporarily with Retta while trying to find the girls' mother.
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
June 21, 2015
The Sleuth Sisters are back. YAY!! I love this series!
The sisters have been renting out their parents home to a man who is rather strange. A single mom and her 3 daughters live with him. One day Retta receives a note saying they moved. Problem is, they left everything behind. Eventually, they discover the 3 girls living in a cabin on the property. As the story unfolds, the sisters deal with taking care of the girls, a church that is almost a cult, murder, home-grown terrorists, and the usual family dynamics of Barb, Faye, and Retta.
Once again Maggie Pill has written a very entertaining cozy mystery. I loved the fact that Barb grew more tolerant as she grew to care deeply for the girls. It was so nice to see the girls were an integral part of the story-- actively involved instead of being mentioned when needed. I also love the way the relationships between Barb, Faye, and Retta have evolved through the 3 books. The sister dynamics are so real.
I can't wait to read Book 4.
The sisters have been renting out their parents home to a man who is rather strange. A single mom and her 3 daughters live with him. One day Retta receives a note saying they moved. Problem is, they left everything behind. Eventually, they discover the 3 girls living in a cabin on the property. As the story unfolds, the sisters deal with taking care of the girls, a church that is almost a cult, murder, home-grown terrorists, and the usual family dynamics of Barb, Faye, and Retta.
Once again Maggie Pill has written a very entertaining cozy mystery. I loved the fact that Barb grew more tolerant as she grew to care deeply for the girls. It was so nice to see the girls were an integral part of the story-- actively involved instead of being mentioned when needed. I also love the way the relationships between Barb, Faye, and Retta have evolved through the 3 books. The sister dynamics are so real.
I can't wait to read Book 4.
October 8, 2015
I thoroughly enjoy reading about these women. I can see myself in each of them, good as well as not-so-good. I have sisters, so the family dynamics resonate for me. Living as I do in the same neck of the woods, generally speaking, I know the people Maggie Pill writes about. At the local restaurant, my husband as been known (more than once) to give me that distinctive "let it go" look, when someone starts a political conversation I don't need to get into, as an example. I see signs that need Barb's Grammar Ninja-ness.
As a long-time reviewer of mystery books, my ability to read strictly for enjoyment has changed; it's difficult to not read critically. I can read Maggie Pill and revel in that world, those characters, the story and where it takes me. Truly, Maggie Pill should be read by way more fans of cozy writing.
This book was received from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review; I hope all my reviews are fair, honest, and unbiased.
As a long-time reviewer of mystery books, my ability to read strictly for enjoyment has changed; it's difficult to not read critically. I can read Maggie Pill and revel in that world, those characters, the story and where it takes me. Truly, Maggie Pill should be read by way more fans of cozy writing.
This book was received from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review; I hope all my reviews are fair, honest, and unbiased.
May 23, 2015
I love this series. If there were another book available, I'd start it right now! Unfortunately, this one, #3, is the last one so far, published in 2015. So Maggie Pill, please write another one asap.
The sisters are wonderful, each with unique personalities. Sometimes they argue but generally they complement each other. It's taken 3 books before Barb and Faye agree to make little sister Retta a full partner in their Smart Detective Agency. Barb continues her "correction escapades" while Faye continues to mother everyone including her husband and mother-in-law.
This story focuses on three young girls, Iris, Pansy and Daisy, who seem destined to play bigger roles in future stories. The mystery solution (what happened to the girls' mother) was predictable and the climax unrealistic, but these caveats made no difference to my enjoyment of the book.
The sisters are wonderful, each with unique personalities. Sometimes they argue but generally they complement each other. It's taken 3 books before Barb and Faye agree to make little sister Retta a full partner in their Smart Detective Agency. Barb continues her "correction escapades" while Faye continues to mother everyone including her husband and mother-in-law.
This story focuses on three young girls, Iris, Pansy and Daisy, who seem destined to play bigger roles in future stories. The mystery solution (what happened to the girls' mother) was predictable and the climax unrealistic, but these caveats made no difference to my enjoyment of the book.
June 6, 2015
Third Time's a Charming Story
This is the third book in The Slueth Sisters series. Although there was murder and mystery there was also the addition of other family members. There were also three orphaned children, horses, dogs, peacocks, and reindeer. The story was and the characters were well developed and the book was hard to put down. I am not giving five stars like I would for Steinbeck or Hemingway. I'm giving five stars for total entertainment.
This is the third book in The Slueth Sisters series. Although there was murder and mystery there was also the addition of other family members. There were also three orphaned children, horses, dogs, peacocks, and reindeer. The story was and the characters were well developed and the book was hard to put down. I am not giving five stars like I would for Steinbeck or Hemingway. I'm giving five stars for total entertainment.
June 12, 2015
The third book in the series and it just keeps on getting better and better. Yes, some of it might have been predictable but just enough to keep you reading to make sure it turned out the way you thought it should. The addition of new characters helps to keep your interest also. I'm looking forward to there being an announcement of another book. (hint, hint) This series is just the right kind to take you away for a pleasant afternoon of reading.
January 30, 2020
Three sisters meet three sisters
The sister's personal problem is resolved very cleverly by one of the sisters, but at the same time gets them quite involved in a messy mystery and adds a set of three new sisters to their lives. I like all the new characters introduced and how they resolve the problems together. I am also Glad Barb still has her secret vendetta, and that it is discovered by her youngest sister. A quick read, and a grammatically correct one!
The sister's personal problem is resolved very cleverly by one of the sisters, but at the same time gets them quite involved in a messy mystery and adds a set of three new sisters to their lives. I like all the new characters introduced and how they resolve the problems together. I am also Glad Barb still has her secret vendetta, and that it is discovered by her youngest sister. A quick read, and a grammatically correct one!
June 5, 2015
Disappearing renters lead to a new case.
The family farm is back on the market but they need to figure out what happened to the family who were lining there and left all their things. Three children without parents leads to more questions and new members to the households. Another close encounter with death proves three sisters on the case is better than a duo.
The family farm is back on the market but they need to figure out what happened to the family who were lining there and left all their things. Three children without parents leads to more questions and new members to the households. Another close encounter with death proves three sisters on the case is better than a duo.
June 22, 2015
My favorite of the three books.
The author's style grows on me more with each book I read. The first book I read in the series drove me crazy, at first, but once I got to know the characters better, the POV changes were no longer distracting. I also enjoy reading about older protagonists who are capable and becoming more interesting with each book.
The author's style grows on me more with each book I read. The first book I read in the series drove me crazy, at first, but once I got to know the characters better, the POV changes were no longer distracting. I also enjoy reading about older protagonists who are capable and becoming more interesting with each book.
May 19, 2016
I absolutely LOVE the Sleuth Sisters Mystery series. The are quirky and adorable. I like the fact that they portray all 3 sisters points of view. I also enjoy the fact that without trying they get themselves in some sticky situations.
I recommend that you begin with Book 1, and read all of them in order (although they can be read in any order).
BIG THUMBS UP!!!
I recommend that you begin with Book 1, and read all of them in order (although they can be read in any order).
BIG THUMBS UP!!!
August 1, 2015
Another fun mystery with the sisters
A cozy mystery with some fun thrown in. I like how the characters are developing and we are meeting new ones. Not hard to figure out but a great read. I am looking forward to the next one.
A cozy mystery with some fun thrown in. I like how the characters are developing and we are meeting new ones. Not hard to figure out but a great read. I am looking forward to the next one.
October 20, 2015
Murder in the Boonies
I love the Sleuth Sisters series! It just keeps getting better! You laugh, you connect with the characters, and you even choke up. In my opinion, Maggie Pill knows how to write a good story that will keep you turning pages all through the night.
I love the Sleuth Sisters series! It just keeps getting better! You laugh, you connect with the characters, and you even choke up. In my opinion, Maggie Pill knows how to write a good story that will keep you turning pages all through the night.
May 24, 2015
Fun mystery
Serious story, but fun interactions between sisters. The mystery was realistic and discuss able topics that would be good for book clubs.
Serious story, but fun interactions between sisters. The mystery was realistic and discuss able topics that would be good for book clubs.
June 9, 2015
Good book
This good easy read for all ages. It's action, funny, heart warming and always end with the bad guy being getting. I would recommend this book.
This good easy read for all ages. It's action, funny, heart warming and always end with the bad guy being getting. I would recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews